A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle! (Japanese: ハクダンジム戦！華麗なるビビヨンの舞バトル！！The Hakudan Gym Battle! The Magnificent Viviyon's Dance Battle!!) is the fifth episode of the XY series, and the 804th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on November 7, 2013 and in the United States on February 15, 2014.

Contents

Blurb

Our heroes have finally arrived in Santalune City, and Ash can’t wait to get on with his first Kalos region Gym battle! Clemont and Bonnie aren’t sure of the Gym’s location, but a photographer offers them directions after snapping a wonderful photo of Ash and Pikachu. Thanks to her, they quickly find the Santalune Gym, where they run into Alexa and Helioptile! Alexa figured they would be there to challenge her Gym Leader sister soon, so she waited for them.

Then, the Gym Leader herself arrives: it’s Viola, the photographer they met earlier! After a tour of the Gym, which contains a gallery of some of Viola’s excellent photographs, it’s time for Ash’s challenge. Ash starts out with Pikachu, while Viola uses Surskit. And soon after the battle begins, someone else arrives to join Alexa, Clemont, and Bonnie on the sidelines...Serena!

Viola uses Surskit’s Ice Beam to convert the Gym into a frozen battlefield. Pikachu has trouble moving on the slippery surface, and Surskit (who can skate nimbly across the ice) quickly gains the upper hand, leaving Ash with one Pokémon left: Fletchling.

As a Flying-type, Fletchling not only has a type advantage over Surskit, but can also avoid the icy battlefield completely. Fletchling defeats Surskit, and Viola brings out Vivillon, whose powerful Gust attack knocks Fletchling into a Sticky Web left behind from one of Surskit’s attacks. Fletchling can’t get away, and Vivillon quickly brings the challenge to an end.

Ash and the others rush off to the Pokémon Center to get help for Pikachu and Fletchling, but Serena notices that Ash has forgotten his backpack and follows after them. Alexa offers to help Ash train for his rematch, since her Noivern also knows Gust. After several failed attempts to stand steady against the force of Noivern’s Gust, Pikachu, Fletching, and Ash are all exhausted and frustrated. Serena offers Ash her support...and a question: does he remember her?

Plot

Now, Ash is running to find the gym, with Clemont and Bonnie behind him, trying to catch up. Clemont suddenly trips and asks Ash if he knows where the gym is. Ash responds with the answer no, and suddenly Viola takes a picture of Ash and Pikachu smiling at each other on the fountain. Viola then gives directions for the gang and Ash starts to run off again. Bonnie runs after her and Clemont thanks her. When they get to the gym, Alexa's Helioptile jumps on Ash. Then Helioptile jumps back to Alexa, and then Alexa greets them. Next, Viola comes in and allows everyone to come in. Soon after everyone looks at Viola's bug photographs, Bonnie tries to get Viola to marry Clemont, but Clemont pulls Bonnie away with his Aipom Arm.

Meanwhile, Serena has just arrived in town, and she can't stop thinking about reuniting with Ash, eager to see the look on his face when that happens.

Back at the gym, the battle begins, and Viola sends out her Surskit, which Ash checks in his Pokédex before sending out Pikachu. The battle starts with Quick Attack but Surskit blocks with Protect. Pikachu tries to go around Surskit to use Iron Tail but it dodges. As Surskit skates around, Ash tells Pikachu to stop Surskit from moving with Electro Ball but Surskit counters with Ice Beam.

Alexa states to Clemont and Bonnie that Viola is tough and defeating her won't be an easy task. Viola tells Surskit to use Ice Beam on the battlefield and it does. Pikachu is having a hard time avoiding the ice and the field is frozen solid. Pikachu is slipping on the ice and falls over. Surskit moves really fast on the ice. Pikachu is hanging on and Ash tells him to use Iron Tail. As Surskit gets close, Pikachu scores a direct hit. Viola tells Surskit to hang in there and use Ice Beam. Pikachu tries to counter with Thunderbolt, but Ice Beam overpowers it and Pikachu falls backwards. Viola commands Surskit to use Signal Beam and it hits Pikachu. After the brief explosion, Pikachu is knocked out. Ash puts Pikachu on the sidelines, thanking it for a great battle, and summons Fletchling next.

At that moment, Serena arrives at the gym. Upon seeing Ash, she can't contain her excitement and runs straight for him, only to be stopped in her tracks by Alexa. She then asks if she can watch the battle, which Alexa, Bonnie, and Clemont allow.

Fletchling leads off with Peck, which Surskit dodges before firing Ice Beam, which is dodged by Fletchling. Surskit then uses Sticky Web, which Fletchling avoids with Double Team. A Razor Wind finally knocks Surskit out.

Viola recalls Surskit and sends out her Vivillon next, which Ash scans in his Pokédex. Fletchling charges in with Peck, but is stopped cold and thrown down by Vivillon's Psychic. Fletchling recovers, but Vivillon uses Gust to blow it into one of the Sticky Webs laid down by Surskit earlier. Now trapped, Fletchling can't escape from Vivillon's Solar Beam, and it is down for the count, meaning Ash's wait for his first Kalos Gym badge has to be prolonged.

Stung by defeat, Ash requests a rematch once he's ready, which Viola accepts, and he hurries out of the Gym to the Pokémon Center. Serena is about to say something to Ash on his way out, but he is too concerned about his injured Pokémon to notice her. However, she then sees that he left his backpack behind.

Alexa then sees the picture her sister took of Ash and Pikachu when he arrived in town, and remarks how it seems to emphasize the bond the two of them have. Viola mentions how that wasn't evident in their battle, but Alexa warns her that Ash should not be taken lightly and that things could be very different in their rematch, before leaving the gym.

Meanwhile, Ash is still sulking over his loss, thinking about how he was completely outclassed by Viola. As he ponders how he'll do things differently, Serena returns his backpack to him. Bonnie and Clemont run over, recognizing her from when they were watching Ash's battle. They introduce themselves, and Ash apologizes for not noticing her before since he was so into the battle. He introduces himself, as does Serena, who starts asking him something before being interrupted by the Pokémon Center bell.

Pikachu and Fletchling are now fully recovered, and Ash introduces them to Serena, telling them that she was watching their battle. After acknowledging them, she then asks Nurse Joy how she got there from Route 4 without passing her. Ash asks Serena if she's sure it's the same Joy, prompting Joy to mention the one on Route 4 is her cousin, proving Ash's hunch correct, and shows the gang a photo of her and the different Nurse Joys. Wanting Joy to look at her Pokémon, Serena brings out Fennekin, which Ash checks in his Pokédex. When she mentions that she got it from Professor Sycamore, Clemont assumes that she's just starting out, which Serena confirms. After Joy agrees to examine Fennekin, Alexa arrives at the Pokemon Center, and seeing that Pikachu and Fletchling have recovered, asks Ash if he's ready to start training for his rematch. He says he is, and asks her if she can help.

Out on the practice field, Alexa summons her Noivern, as it can also use Gust, which Ash acknowledges as one of the issues he had in the battle, courtesy of Vivillon. Noivern uses Gust, and although Pikachu and Fletchling try to stand up to it, they get blown away, forcing Ash to run forward and catch them from the fall. He encourages them to keep trying, and asks Alexa to have Noivern use Gust again. Pikachu and Fletchling withstand it longer this time, but still eventually get blown away, again prompting Ash to leap forward and catch them.

As Ash ponders how he'll deal with everything that gave him problems in the battle, Serena walks up to him and hands him a handkerchief to clean himself up with. Hesitating, she then asks him if he remembers her...